How Do I Get to Heaven – Abounding Grace Christian Church of Schenectady, New York

If you are a person sincerely seeking Truth, you MUST consider the Bible! The Bible is unique and unlike any other book written throughout history. Any rational and honest person in search of knowing the Truth is obligated to consider searching the Bible for answers to life’s questions.

What Happens When We Die?

Considered one of life’s ultimate questions, there is something in each of us that needs to know the answer to this question. Unfortunately, many people come to the wrong conclusions by believing the wrong sources. The Bible, inspired by Almighty God, is the ONLY source of Truth, which reveals to us what happens when we die.

What Does the Bible Say About This?

What happens to a person when they die, depends upon their relationship with God while they are alive. Sin has separated all of mankind from a relationship with God. Jesus came to be a bridge to bring God and man back together again.

The Bible teaches us that all those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior receive Eternal Life. Jesus said in John 14:6; “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus also said in John 3:14-16; “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not PERISH but have ETERNAL LIFE. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE.”

(Capitalization added by Pastor Jay for understanding and emphasis).

From these passage, and many others, we see that the choice as to what happens to us when we die is either:

Don’t believe and Perish, or
Believe and have Eternal Life. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus made it clear that the unbeliever would spend eternity in a place of torment called Hell and the believer would spend eternity in a place of comfort and rest known as Heaven.

We want to encourage you today to “believe” on the Lord Jesus Christ with ALL OF YOUR HEART! To truly believe means you turn your back on your old lifestyle and you make Him Lord of your life.

The Bible Teaches Us How to Get to Heaven:

1. Mankind is separated from God and that we are all sinners due to a fallen nature inherited through Adam. (Isaiah 59:1.2: Romans 5:12)

2. There are NO EXCEPTIONS, all people have sinned and have fallen short. (Romans 3:23)

3. The wages of sin is eternal death or separation from God. (Romans 6:23)

4. The eternal destination of all mankind if they do not receive God’s plan of salvation is a place of torment called HELL and the LAKE OF FIRE. (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:7,8)

5. GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH, that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to carry your sin and the punishment for it so that you could have eternal life. (John 3:16; II Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8,9) Only God could carry the sins of all humanity, and only Man could shed His blood and die, so Jesus was and is the God-Man. God became flesh and dwelled among us. (John 1:1. 2. 14)

6. Jesus Christ died physically on the cross and became spiritually separated from God the Father as our substitute.
(Ephesians 2:13-19) He became what we were on the cross so we could experience a relationship with God and be forgiven of all sin. (Mathew 27:36; II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7)

7. We receive salvation by accepting what Jesus Christ has done for us BY FAITH AND NOT BY WORKS! (Romans 3:21-28)

8. YOU CAN NOT BE SAVED FROM HELL AND GO TO HEAVEN BY YOUR GOOD WORKS!! YOU CAN ONLY BE SAVED FROM HELL AND GO TO HEAVEN BY PLACING FAITH IN THE GRACE OF GOD WHO PROVIDED SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! (Ephesians 2:8-10).

9. What must you do to be saved from sin and hell and go to heaven?

a.) Make a decision that with God’s help you will turn from your old life and live for Him. (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19) (called “repentance”)
b.) Confess and agree that Jesus Christ is Lord. This means you make Him the Lord of your life. (Romans 10:9)
c.) Believe with all of your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead after He had carried your sin and shed His blood for you. (Romans 10:9,10)

Pray this prayer: “God in Heaven, I acknowledge that I have sinned and am in need of forgiveness. Today,with Your help, I turn from my sin and my old life. I confess Jesus Christ is Lord and I make Him the Lord of my life today. I believe with all of my heart that He carried my sin and died for me so I could have eternal life. I also believe that after having died, You raised Him up and now He is alive for evermore. I thank you that by faith, I am a child of yours today. I believe that today I receive eternal life by faith and not by works, in the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.”

If you prayed the above prayer, we at Abounding Grace Christian Church welcome you to the family of God! We want to help you grow and become strong in your Christian life.